Last night, the Andalusian city of Malaga hosted the annual Michelin Guide Spain & Andorra 2026 gala, an event that once again celebrated the extensive gastronomic map we have at our disposal.
New stars added to the Michelin Guide Spain, young talent and the commitment to sustainability were highlighted. SOHRLIN Andalucía was chosen as the venue and featured familiar faces such as the actor Antonio Banderas from Malaga and the television presenter Jesús Vázquez.
The evening concluded with five new Green Star restaurants, five restaurants with two Michelin stars, three of them in Barcelona, 25 restaurants receiving their first star, 29 new Bib Gourmands and four Michelin Special Awards recognising individual talent.
The sustainable revolution is being cooked up in the north
Sustainability continues to gain ground in kitchens, and the Michelin Guide Spain & Andorra highlighted this by awarding five new Green Stars, an accolade that recognises the use of locally sourced and seasonal produce, the revival of agricultural traditions and practices that minimise environmental impact.
Representatives from the five restaurants awarded green stars this year. Editorial credit: Michelin Guide Spain.
In this year’s edition, five restaurants have been recognised for their initiatives, and the Basque territory once again stands out, winning four of the five Green Stars awarded. These proposals represent a lively and conscious cuisine that looks to the future with respect for nature.
The Guipúzcoa restaurant, Ama, receiving its green star. Editorial credit: Michelin Guide Spain.
With the additions of Ama (Tolosa, Guipúzcoa), Hika (Villabona, Guipúzcoa), Bakea (Mungia, Vizcaya), Garena (Dima, Vizcaya), and Terrae (Port de Pollença, Mallorca), the category now has a total of 59 green restaurants.
Barcelona: protagonist in the double star
The two Michelin star category saw five new additions, with Barcelona shining brightly thanks to Aleia, Enigma and Mont Bar, which climbed the star rankings. They were joined by La Boscana (Bellvís, Lleida) and Ramón Freixa Atelier (Madrid), bringing the total number of two-star restaurants in the guide to 37.
The international director of the Michelin Guide, Gwendal Poullennec, highlighted the large number of new additions to the Spanish and Andorran culinary world.
They are experiencing unprecedented dynamism, marked by the consolidation of established restaurants and the strong emergence of young talent, which points to a truly promising future, Poullennec said.
25 restaurants debut with their first star
The new Michelin selection reinforces the gastronomic scene with new additions that are driven both from large cities and from areas further away from urban centres. In Barcelona, the restaurants Kamikaze and SCAPAR are recognised, as are Islares in Bilbao, Itzuli in Donostia-San Sebastián, and EMi and Èter in Madrid.
Spain has a wide range of Michelin-starred restaurants run by chefs such as Joan Roca, Jordi Cruz, Toño Pérez, Albert Adrià, among others. Editorial credit: Michelin Guide Spain.
Meanwhile, Andalusia has achieved one of the most striking advances this year, with new stars spread across five provinces. Faralá in Granada, Mare in Cádiz, Ochando in Seville, Palodú in Málaga and ReComiendo in Córdoba. This recognition reflects the region’s wealth and reinforces its identity through its cuisine.
Moving away from the capitals, the guide highlights the rise of haute cuisine in rural areas. There has been a growing trend towards launching projects connected to nature. Chefs, many of them young, are committed to working in harmony with the landscape and promoting the circular economy.
The Galician restaurant, Vértigo, receiving its first Michelin star. Editorial credit: Michelin Guide Spain.
Among them are Casa Rubén (Tella, Huesca), Pico Velasco (Carasa, Cantabria), Regueiro (Tox, Asturias) and Vértigo (Sober, Lugo), which demonstrate how this new cuisine, rooted and responsible, recovers local knowledge while promoting sustainable practices.
The Bib Gourmand category, featured in the MICHELIN Guide since 1997, continues to celebrate restaurants that strike an almost perfect balance between high cuisine and accessible prices. This year’s selection includes 204 restaurants, with 29 new additions that demonstrate the diversity and vitality of the country’s gastronomy. Among the new entries are the talent of young Pablo González at La Trébede (Pobladura del Valle, Zamora), the scientific approach applied to traditional recipes at Loreto (Jumilla, Murcia Region) and the creative personality of Manifesto 13 (Madrid), among others.
The talent that drives high gastronomy
As it does every year, the Michelin Guide recognises culinary professionalism on an individual basis, highlighting four essential positions for achieving fine dining. The 2026 Service Award went to Abel Valverde, maître d’ at Desde 1911 (Madrid), a restaurant distinguished with a Michelin star. The 2026 Sommelier Award, sponsored by Vila Viniteca, praised the talent of Luis Baselga at the two-Michelin-starred Smoked Room (Madrid). His vision when it comes to creating pairings, which are always personalised, makes him a key figure when it comes to tasting.
Chef Quique Dacosta receiving his Chef Mentor 2026 award. Editorial credit: Michelin Guide Spain.
Meanwhile, the Young Chef Award 2026, presented by MAKRO, celebrated the creativity and culinary maturity of Juan Carlos García, chef at Vandelvira (Baeza, Jaén). Meanwhile, the final award, the 2026 Mentor Chef Award, sponsored by Blancpain, highlighted the impressive career of chef Quique Dacosta, head of the three-starred restaurant that bears his name in Dénia.
